About 64% employees would readily accept a workload reduction for a commensurate pay cut, indicating that a majority of employees recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance and are willing to prioritise it over financial gain.
However, the study also shows that nearly 89 % of employees in India claim to be highly motivated by challenges and extra responsibility at work, while 76% believe that their work is more than just a ‘job’ to them and has a special meaning.
The study conducted across 10 countries, including India, surveyed more than 4,000 employees, including managers and C-suite executives.
It shows that globally managers have a major impact on employees’ productivity and engagement, as well as other factors that create a great place to work such as building trust, fostering open communication, and caring for employees as individuals.
Globally, managers report the highest levels of burnout at work, underlining the critical need for more organisational support to be the most effective in their roles. In India, about three in four employees (72%) say their manager’s support, encouragement, and/or their leadership directly motivate them to go above and beyond in the workplace, and two-fifth of employees (40%) say having a good manager — one who’s accessible but doesn’t micro-manage — makes them feel the most productive at work. About 91% employees said their managers give them actionable feedback to help improve their performance and create clear performance goals with them, 88% state that their managers value diverse perspectives, while 86% feel empowered by their managers to do their job.
Changing dynamics of workplace culture, along with managers that prioritise employee engagement and growth, play a pivotal role in nurturing this shift towards a more purpose-driven approach to work, the study said.
The findings show that 80% employees confirmed that their organisation provides learning and development opportunities for their professional growth, 75% say their organisation celebrates people who try new ways of doing things, regardless of the outcome, and 68% agree that their workplace embraces diversity and is intentional about creating an inclusive culture.
“There is an emerging culture of promoting trust, transparency and accountability in workplaces across the world, and managers are the major driving force behind this shift,” said Sumeet Doshi, country manager at UKG, India.
“The study is reflective of this fact as it finds 91% Indian employees well-informed by their managers on leadership decisions, and 87% employees observing how effective their managers are in resolving conflict within the team,” he said.
Doshi said it is important to understand that change starts at the top in an organisation. “Initiatives and policies that enable a positive work culture cannot be sustained without the support of senior leadership,” he said. “Therefore, 85% of employees in India finding themselves influenced by their managers to achieve work-life balance is a very positive indicator towards how managers are helping organisations adapt to a more employee-centric idea of ‘work’.”